SUMMER2017
2016
SPRING
Indiana Cow/Calf Producers Profit by
Being Neighborly and Smart by Bob Hough
T
j. david nichols
For over a century rural Iowans loved
their high school girls basketball
teams. Nearly every small school had
one... The big city schools did not!
And they were quick to point out the
physical and emotional shortcomings
of girls, especially young ones. Today, those statements would land
them in court or they would be making
an abrupt career change. I don’t know
of an Iowa high school that doesn’t
have girls’ athletic teams.
The Iowa girls state basketball
championship tournament was and
remains one of the highlights of the
sports events each year. Most of the
motels and hotels in Des Moines are
sold out weeks in advance.
These young women are wonderful
examples of competition, playing hard,
team efforts and learning leadership
skills. They experience the joy of winning and learn valuable lessons from
the agony of defeat.
Last week the Treynor Cardinals
team lost the State Championship
game to a taller, more physical team
by a last second charging foul. It
resulted in free throws that won the
game for Western Christian. It was
very controversial to say the least.
Traynor’s head coach, Gail Hartigan, has won nearly 700 games in her
incredible career, including 13 state
tournament appearances and the 1994
state championship.
— Continued on page two
he Western Indiana Marketing Group
represents thirteen producers that pool
their cattle to maximize their marketing
potential. Their program has been wildly
successful, marketing five loads of feeders
this past year at the top of the market. The
key to their success is cooperation, top
genetics from a single seedstock supplier,
and an excellent health program.
The genesis of the group came 15 years
ago when some of them visited Nichols
Farms to purchase bulls. The progeny of
these sires were so outstanding that the
neighbors in the area quickly decided to
switch to Nichols Farms to supply their
seedstock needs, and before they knew
it, they were renting a van each year to
attend Nichols’ private treaty sale. They
also realized that they were all producing
such uniform calves that they had the
opportunity to value-add their calves by
marketing together.
According to Bill Reiff, who heads the
marketing group, there were many lessons
to be learned. “We took some summer trips
out to Nichols to fully understand their
program and breed types. At first we all
needed to breed to Angus bulls for a period
of years to achieve uniformity before we
had the opportunity to take advantage of
the heterosis that Nichols’ hybrids and
composites had to offer. We also learned
about the value of EPDs. At the beginning,
we were hoping to market 500 pound
calves in January or February, and now
that we are using better genetics, we were
able to market 750 pound calves this past
year loaded out before Thanksgiving. Our
calves sold at the top of the market with
the heifers going as replacements to repeat
buyers.”
Ross Havens of Nichols Farms notes,
“They are some of our most informed
buyers. They visit us in the summer to
make sure they are up-to-date on our
program, and they come the day before the
opening day of our private treaty sale to
— Continued on page three
back - Kaleb Pass, Bill Reiff, Andy Stoll, Jake Reiff, Eric Lilly and Lucky The Wonder Dog
front - Neil Salomon, Dave Reiff, Chuck McManus, Eric McManus, Ed Oilar. not pictured - Ryan Howard, Blain Mills
[ 1 ]
BIVI
Beef
Bulletin
— Continued from page one
While Coach Hartigan’s terrific career
of wins is impressive, her expertise as
a teacher, mentor, and role model for
young women is her real claim to fame.
In the locker room after the game,
Coach Hartigan said,“this outcome is just
part of the game. Referees make mistakes
and anyone here who didn’t make a mistake, stand up. “That how it goes”.
Coach Hartigan believes in her kids,
and they believe in her. She is just as
proud of them after they graduate as
when they’re playing basketball.
Athletic events aren’t the only places
where Coach Hartigan’s examples instill
real life values in young people.
4-H, FFA, Scouts, music, public speaking, photography, and district, state
and national breed association’s junior
programs provide fertile ground as well.
Contrast these worthy examples with
the millionaire professional athletes who
refuse to stand for the national anthem. I
refuse to watch the teams that hire them.
Even more troublesome are the U.S.
Senators and Congressmen who refuse to
Pledge Allegiance to our flag. I hope and
believe that their numbers decline with
every election.
I’m proud of America and believe it’s
the best place I could have lived my
dreams. We’ve sold cattle to almost every
corner of the globe and seen descendants
of our cattle win major shows all over
the world. But nothing makes me prouder
than the success of our USA customers.
The success of the Western Indiana
Marketing Group is sure at, or near the
top. They’ve hammered out a team that
can run with any outfit in the country.
They did it themselves and figured out a
way that they could compete and win by
playing within the rules of the game.
It’s been a good winter, the cows are
in the calving pastures dropping babies
every day. And the tractors and planters
will soon be heading to the fields.
In the mean time: We’re in the busy part
of the bull season and are open for business and selling bulls every day. We still
have a good selection for sale. We want to
hear your success stories and learn from
you how we can make it even better.
during low-stress times, like during spring turnout when calves
go back out to pasture with their
mothers. This will give the imby Dr. Peggy
mune system the opportunity to
Thompson DVM
work at optimum levels.
Professional
Services
Veterinarian
Reduce
Calf Stress
at Weaning
C
attle experience a variety
of stressors throughout
their lives than can hinder
overall productivity, and weaning
is one of the most stressful. Castration, transportation, disease
challenges, commingling, dietary
changes and more can cause
reduced performance, increased
morbidity and even death. In order to help reduce calf stress, it is
recommended to vaccinate calves
at one to four months of age.
Adding vaccination at weaning can increase stress levels in
calves. Focus on giving vaccines
Research studies have demonstrated that calves as young as five to
six weeks of age can be effectively
immunized against bovine viral
diarrhea virus (BVDV).1 BVDV
Type 1b is the most prevalent
strain in the United States, so
make sure the vaccine you choose
offers solid protection against it.
Always read and follow label
directions and work closely with
your local veterinarian before
vaccinating to formulate a sound
herd health program that fits your
operation, environmental conditions and management needs
References:
1 Zimmerman AD, Buterbaugh RE,
Schnackel JA, Chase CC. Efficacy of a
modified-live virus vaccine administered
to calves with maternal antibodies and
challenged seven months later with
a virulent bovine viral diarrhea type 2
virus. Bovine Pract, 2009;43:35–43.
2 Fulton RW, Ridpath JF, Saliki JT, et
al. Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV)
1b: predominant BVDV subtype in
calves with respiratory disease. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research.
2002;66(3):181–190.
Blast From The Past
Lee Nichols’ 1961 Adair County
Grand Champion Angus breeding
heifer— Nichols Heiress 17 (3441689)
was also shown at the Iowa State
Fair where she placed 2nd in Class
in the 4-H division. Then she placed
1st in Class in the Open Division and
was Reserve Champion Senior Heifer Calf. Her show ring career was
her finest hour and her legacy as a
brood cow remains a mystery.
[ 2 ]
Neighbors, from page one
fully evaluate the bulls. They want to know everything they can
about potential sires they are looking to purchase, asking about
their dams and all the performance information.” In recent years,
they have also started to buy their replacement heifers from
Nichols Farms. Havens explained, “They give us strict criteria on
what they want to buy in terms of breed types and performance,
and then buy them sight unseen.”
With 13 producers with herd sizes that range from 25 to 160
cows there is a lot of coordination and cooperation that goes
into making the process work. It all starts with a long term
commitment to buying top genetics from a single seedstock
supplier, and all the bulls the marketing partners purchase must
meet minimum performance standards. They then all calve in the
same time period, use the same cow herd health program, and
when they wean their calves, they have a uniform weaning time,
vaccination program, and nutrition. All their calves qualify for
Indiana’s IQ Plus and Superior’s Vac 45 health programs.
The other piece of the puzzle was finding the right marketing
avenue. In consultation with the Nichols team the whole time,
they first started at the local sale barn and then moved on to
Nichols feeder calf marketing program. As Reiff relates, “Over
time, we realized that without marketing
them in load lots, we were leaving money on
the table.” This led them to Superior Video
Auction rep Clint Berry who specializes in
marketing feeder cattle with known genetics
and excellent health programs. Reiff said
proudly, “I think we were lucky to have
hooked up with the best Superior rep in the
nation.”
Clint Berry
Berry heads a team of Superior reps that
market cattle nationwide. According to Berry, “When I visited
them, I was amazed by the uniformity of the calves. They were
peas in a pod, and the only way you could tell them apart was
by the color of the ear tags. Because they have been purchasing
replacement heifers from Nichols Farms and have not been keeping
any replacement heifers back, they had an excellent opportunity
to market their heifers as potential replacements. These past two
years, their heifers have gone to an operation that specializes in
Southwestern Community College (Iowa) Animal Breeding and
Genetics class toured Nichols Farms. They were accompianed by
their AG Instructers Beth Baudler and Susannah Miller
developing
r e pla c e me nt
heifers,
and
they were my
top
selling
black heifers I
marketed this
past year. They
have an excellent
reputation, and
people ask me
each year what
sale their cattle
will be marketed,
in order to have a
chance to buy both
their steers and
heifers. This past
year, we marketed
one lot of two loads
of steers, another lot
of two loads of heifers
and then a split load.”
Berry
continues,
“Cookie Cutter Cattle” go on
“They are 100 percent
feed together and are harvested
committed
to
their
together when they’re “ready”
customers and delivering
cattle that will make them money. One year, three of the heifers
turned up pregnant, and they made it right even though they didn’t
have to. The buyer was blown away that a seller would stand
behind their cattle like that.” Reiff confirms these observations,
“Our priority is delivery of what we say we have, and our goal
is to raise the best black feeder calves on the market. Although
there are many pieces to the puzzle, the key is having a reputation
seedstock supplier. Our feeder calves market on Superior with the
Nichols Farms logo, which helps add value.”
Nichols Power Bulls in Their
Working Clothes
The Western Indiana Marketing Group has a system that serves
as an example to small producers all over the country. Berry
often refers to them in the educational talks he gives around the
nation as a group that does it right, as well as a way for smaller
producers to add value to their calves. Reiff’s advice is that if you
have friends and neighbors that you can work together with to
market uniform calves, you will make more money. He concludes,
“The biggest thing is working with good, honest people like our
marketing partners, Clint Berry and Nichols Farms.” All this
adds up to a recipe for profitability.
[ 3 ]
Buying or Selling Your Calves?
We Can Help!
Yo u Ca n
M
Nothing
Succeeds like
a team effort
I
Cowboys
nnovative Livestock Auction
Markets, are adding real dollars to their customers calves
that are preconditioned, vaccinated,
and have source verified genetics.
Livestock Auction Markets’ role
in price discovery is the key to profitable cow/calf producers— especially in uncertain markets.
These Livestock Auction Markets
advertise Nichols genetics and the
role that Superior Beef Genetics
play in producing cattle that gain
efficiently and grade mostly choice.
These feeder cattle and replacement females are the ones that bring
order buyers to the sale barns that
team up with Nichols Farms.
Anita Livestock Auction
Joplin Regional Stockyards
Bloomfield Livestock Auction
Keoco Auction Company, LLC
Clarinda Livestock Auction
Knoxville Regional Market
Colfax Livestock Sales
Lamoni Livestock Auction
Creston Livestock Auctions
Lolli Bros. Livestock Mkt. inc
Denison Livestock Auction
Madison County Livestock Auction
Dunlap Livestock
Massena Livestock Auction
Farmers Livestock Auction
Russell Livestock Market
Fort Scott Livestock Auction
Green City Livestock
Guthrie Livestock Auction
Humeston Livestock Auction
Call-- Ross Havens
Office: 641-369-2829
Cell: 641-745-5241
[email protected]
For Sale: Superior Beef Genetics
from : Nichols Farms - Iowa
Angus - Simmental - South Devon - Hybrids - Composites .
✦ 35 coming two/year old and 18 month old fall yearling bulls ......................
✦ 175 Yearling Bulls ............................................................................see page 6
from : Nichols Genetic Source Partners
✦ 80 Angus Cross heifers with 1st calves at side sired by Nichols Bulls - Iowa
✦ 90 spring yearling Sim/Angus heifers sired by Nichols Bulls - Iowa
✦ Check out the full listing at— www.nicholsfarms.biz
[ 4 ]
Count On
ike Firch grew up on a family farm that raised sheep, hogs,
and cows— so there were lots of
“chores”.
His
4-H
projects
were calves.
He took
vocational
agriculture
classes and
joined the
Br idgewat e r- Fo nt a nelle FFA
and served
as Chapter
Sentinel.
Mike also
participated
in band, chorus, and played tackle on
the football team. He ran the 1/2 mile,
one mile, and two mile races on the
track team.
He went right to work after graduating working for two coops servicing
equipment and delivering farm fuels.
It’s more of same at Nichols Farms,
plus he’s the first pick for driving one
of Nichols Farms trucks. But feed and
water for cattle always come first, so he
gets plenty of time making hay, chopping silage and planting alfalfa.
Mike and his wife, Stacey, live close
by in the country. Their hobbies are
camping and fishing. They have two
daughters, Brittany, 22, and Cadee, 12.
AminoGro™ Management: Grazing reduces input
by Ronda Driskill
Commercial
Beef Specialist
ADM Alliance
Nutrition, Inc
Measuring biological and
economical efficiency can
benefit cow/calf production
Biological efficiency, the measure
of pounds of calf weaned per weight
of the dam, can be increased by improving calf weaning weight through
genetics, creep feeding or decreasing
cow size. Biological efficiency is dependent on cow and calf maintenance
requirements, as well as cow reproductive and lactation requirements.
However, with economical efficiency,
the input and output costs for a cow/
calf herd is measured to determine
profitability. Decreasing input costs
and increasing the value of the calves
sold are ways to improve economical
efficiency.
Factors impacting biological and
economical efficiency—Genetics:
Crossbreeding positively impacts fertility, cow longevity, milking ability
and weaning weight. Selecting sires
that boost post-weaning performance
and carcass merit also will increase
calf value and, consequently, increase
biological and economical efficiency.
costs compared to feeding harvested
forages. Cow size needs to be optimized as large cows require more
dry matter intake for maintenance,
increasing input costs. For every 100
pounds of cow body weight over 1200
pounds, a cow will require 500-550
pounds more dry matter each year.
Calf growth: Early calf growth is
heavily dependent on milk production.
Forage and supplemental feed intake
have a major impact on calf growth
during the pre-weaning period. Offering fiber-based creep feeds, such as
AminoGro™ or Rough-N-Ready™,
complement the forages calves consume and allows calves to maximize
growth potential.
Cow nutrition: Maximize forage
utilization and digestion by the cow
by supplementing with AMPT™ and
Mintrate® products. Improving reproduction in the cow helps ensure she
will have a calf every year. Feeding a
balanced mineral program year-round,
such as AMPT or MoorMan’s®, supplies required minerals and vitamins
needed for structural components, reproduction, enzymes and body functions.
Creating an efficient cow herd requires careful planning and analysis
of nutrition, genetics and management
to balance biological and economical efficiency. Cutting input costs too
much may not only reduce the pounds
of calf produced, but also the number
of calves produced.
AminoGro, Rougn-N-Ready, AMPT, Mintrate
and MoorMan’s are trademarks of Archer
LETTERS
from you
From Roberta Tarochione, London Mills Ill
Good morning, Ross. Just wanted to
drop you a quick note to say Thank You for
picking me a bull, answering all my questions and your patience. I look forward to
seeing the calves next year out of 61. Lots
of great looking bulls yesterday and many
very helpful, friendly herdsmen. You guys
keep up the good work. It was a good day
spent with cattle and family. Thanks again.
From Sam Davis, Elberta AL
Gary Osbourn dropped off the Bulls about
4:30 yesterday. They sure look good. My
check is in the mail. Thanks again.
From Gary Updike, Checotath OK
Lillian, I got the catalogs and am really
impressed with the EPDs of the bulls.
From Frank Padilla, Englewood CO
Dave, I thoroughly enjoyed our visit and
time together yesterday. The conversation is
always simulating and your insights to the
beef industry are always thought provoking
and visionary. I enjoy that. Thank you for
a great day and an excellent dinner. I look
forward to further conversations.
From Andy Boston, Paoli IN
Dave, I really enjoy your newsletter.
Thanks for sending it. Your editorial is the
best part and I read first. We see things
the same way, but you have a much better
way of saying it. Your newsletter is also
informative and educational. It helps me
keep up with the leading edge. Please keep
it coming. There is much to talk about with
the new administration in Washington D.C.
Toby Cole Receives Iowa Foundation
Heifer Program Award
From TC Ranch, Dru Uden, Franklin NE
I appreciate your efforts on the Angus
Board of Directors. Thank you for giving
your time. Always enjoy visiting with you
and gaining valuable knowledge of not only
Angus, but the entire cattle industry.
his award includes three registered Angus
bred heifers and is sponsored by the Iowa
Beef Breeds Council and the Iowa Cattlemens
Foundation.
Ross Havens, Vice President of the Iowa Cattlemens Foundation, is pictured presenting the
award to Toby Cole from Clarence, Iowa at the
recent Iowa Beef Expo.
This program requires a great deal of responsibility for the young people who are fortunate
to receive these bred heifers.
From Bob Blomme DVM, Audubon IA
I read Dave’s recent column in the
Nichols Newsletter. Amen in regards to
his approach to bad feet. Too many Angus
breeders pay lip service to the problems
the Angus breed is perpetuating. Buyers
beware because too often the bulls are in
mud or straw where the hoof anatomy is not
objectively evaulated.
We need more seedstock breeders with
the ethics of Dave Nichols.
T
[ 5 ]
2188 Clay Avenue
Bridgewater, Iowa 50837-8047
Nichols Bull Barn: 641-369-2829
www.nicholsfarms.biz
Nichols Farms - Bulls for sale
200+ Bulls to Pick From
PB ANGUS
Nichols SX-1 Hybrid
u
u
u PB SOUTH DEVON
PB SIMMENTAL
u NICHOLS DAX-2 Composite
Nichols DX-1 Hybrid
u
u
It’s Not a One
Day Sale...
We’re Open for
Business Every
Day Except
Sunday
Nichols Good As Gold Z103 is a Purebred Angus
POWER BULL That Thrives on Fescue Pasture.
His Epds rank near the very top in growth,
docility, and $Feedlot.
u
u
u
u
u
Nichols Upgrade B31 is a Purebred Simmental
BEEF BULL That Thrives on Fescue Pasture. His
Epds rank in the top 1% for growth, maternal
weaning weight and $TI
We keep your bull at no charge until you need him
Pay for your bull the day he’s delivered to your place
$100 off each and every bull, if you pick them up
Nichols Farms adds $$$ to your calves by notifying
our network of feedlots when you sell your calves
Bull Barn: 641-369-2829
Ross cell: 641-745-5241
Dave home: 712-762-3810
We offer death and loss of use warranty
— Good - $3500 Better - $4000 Best - $4500 —
Sale Catalog: www.nicholsfarms.biz
2188 Clay Avenue - Bridgewater, IA 50837